Iranian foreign minister 'hopeful' on nuclear framework agreement US Secretary of State John Kerry will join the P5+1 talks in Geneva amid expectations of a possible deal. Iran
Obama goes big in the Middle East The US-Russia agreement on Syria’s chemical weapons, a possible nuclear deal with Iran, and Israeli-Palestinian peace talks are all signs that the Obama administration may be charting a new course in the region. Palestine
Syrian Kurdish leader: Turkey may end proxy war In an interview, Saleh Muslim, co-chairman of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), says that Turkey is ceasing its proxy war against the PYD by ending its support for jihadist groups in Syria. Syria
Turkey's stalled constitution In the post-Gezi Park protests era, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is being pressured to give up on writing a new constitution, at least until the March elections are over. Turkey
Palestine-Israel talks are a road without a map A freeze on settlements and recognition that the West Bank is occupied territory is necessary to turn the talks into true negotiations. Palestine
Kerry’s words not enough to recast US-Egypt ties In the post-Mubarak era, the United States must deal with “crowd democracy” in Egypt. Egypt
Liberman slams South Africa as 'anti-Israel' The harsh remarks emanating from Turkey and South Africa indicate that it's OK to criticize Israel while strengthening ties with Iran. Israel
Does Washington have a policy toward Syria’s Kurds? The view from Washington about US policy toward Syria may be more confusing than it looks from Turkey. Iraq
Does AKP’s 'silent revolution' silence women? The Turkish Justice and Development Party's “silent revolution” guarantees women’s rights as long as they do not clash with Islamic ideals. Turkey
Prominent Likud member warns of massive layoffs The chairman of the Knesset's Labor, Welfare and Health Committee, Haim Katz, warns of a massive layoff wave in the Israeli job market, accusing Economy and Trade Minister Naftali Bennet for not fighting it. Israel
First Egypt-Ethiopia Nile talks end on sour note Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan held tripartite talks on the Renaissance Dam in Khartoum, failing to make progress on their dispute over the Nile. Egypt
Palestinian refugees accuse Jordan police of abuse Palestinian refugees at the Jerash refugee camp have accused Jordan's security forces of abusing some refugees during detention following clashes with nearby villagers. Jordan
Syria's temporary solution As preparations for the Geneva II Syria conference stall, some suggest that a temporary solution could be in the works, aimed at keeping President Bashar al-Assad in office, but without elections. Saudi Arabia
Small victory for Iraqi civil society on pension law While civil activists successfully brought an end to unfair parliamentary salaries and pensions last month, many gaps in Iraqi law persist. Iraq
Lebanese Shiite leader launches interfaith dialogue The prominent Lebanese Shiite scholar Ali Fadlallah has launched a new initiative aimed at promoting interfaith dialogue and cooling sectarian tensions in the region. Lebanon
